4 arrested in rush-hour shooting

Shooting motive is unknown

Published 10:00 pm, Monday, July 30, 2007

A man is detained and handcuffed Monday after a shooting during rush-hour in downtown Seattle on the corner of Third Avenue and Pine Street. (Cully Martin / Special to the P-I)

A man is detained and handcuffed Monday after a shooting during rush-hour in downtown Seattle on the corner of Third Avenue and Pine Street. (Cully Martin / Special to the P-I)

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4 arrested in rush-hour shooting

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One man was wounded several times in the leg and four suspects were arrested Monday afternoon in a shooting that caused major disruption to downtown rush-hour traffic.

The shooting occurred at the corner of Third Avenue and Pine Street just after 4:30 p.m., blocking access to the busy bus stop at the Macy's Third Avenue entrance. Third Avenue was closed for several blocks during the investigation, and Second Avenue traffic was reduced to one lane.

The incident and ongoing investigation had downtown city streets snarled with backups. Taxicabs tried to skirt the standstills by inching into parking strips, and buses were halted on Third Avenue, lined up for blocks like sticks against a logjam.

Two of the suspects were arrested when the Dodge Magnum in which they fled was stopped in heavy traffic. Police said they found two handguns in the car.

Two more suspects fled on foot and were stopped by police at Second Avenue and Wall Street.

"The important thing we want to express is that all the suspects are in custody. There is nobody outstanding," police spokesman Jeff Kappel said.

Police were first called to a fight involving multiple people on the southeast corner of Third and Pine.

"Two guys were fighting or whatever, and a couple of people were swarming around them," said Craig Dickson, a tourist who witnessed the shooting. "Both were bleeding from the mouth."

Dickson said he heard about five gunshots. "It was pretty messy, pretty hectic," he said.

It is unclear why they were fighting. After being shot, the victim may have run across the street. He was found lying in front of the Macy's building.

The wounded man was apparently pulled inside the Cosi sandwich shop on that corner. The shop was closed Monday evening, and the concrete steps leading to the door were freshly washed and smelled of bleach.

Cully Martin, a photographer who happened to be on the scene, said he saw the arrest, where about 14 officers surrounded the suspect in a white Dodge Magnum. The officers all had their handguns and shotguns drawn, and reports were that police were looking for other possible suspects.

"All four doors of the Dodge were open, so I don't know how many others were in the car," Martin said.

Martin said the Dodge sped down Second Avenue after the shooting before stopping at Second and Union Street.

The motive for the shooting was unclear.

Amanda Anderson, who works across the street on the second floor, said she heard three gunshots around 4:30 p.m.

She said she looked out the window and saw a man run across the street, jump into a white car and speed away. In the process, he hit another parked car. Anderson did not witness the shooting.

Police put up crime tape around the scene, temporarily blocking some people from their bus stops, and traffic downtown backed up on all adjacent streets.

"I think this is the closest proximity to a shooting I've ever been," Anderson said.

Monday's shooting happened just a block from where Carlos Lamont Rodriguez was gunned down and killed June 22. Rodriguez was near Pine Street and Second Avenue when he was shot in the back with an AK-47. A 25-year-old man has been charged with murder in that case.